05 Nov Plants of the Week: November 2

It’s Camellia season! Fall blooming camellias are underrepresented in autumn gardens. They are notable as they provide blooms over a 4-6 week period. Open flowers are susceptible to frost, but closed buds are hardy and will soon open, replacing those damaged by cold temperatures. Camellia ‘Snow Flurry’ is a gorgeous, pure white cultivar. One of the parents of ‘Snow Flurry’ is Camellia oleifera, a fall-flowering Chinese species known for its cold hardiness. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Salvia oxyphora

The fuzzy Bolivian sage has been catching the eye of many a passersby of late. The large fuzzy flowers, similar in color to cherry licorice, rest at the terminal ends of 3’ tall stems. In its native haunts along the middle elevations in the Bolivian Andes, Salvia oxyphora grows on the edge of moist, warm forests. It loves rich soil, lots of moisture, and full sun to partial shade. Interested in Salvia? Check out Flowers by the Sea, a family run mail-order nursery offering hundreds of gorgeous Salvia varieties. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Calycanthus floridus ‘Michael Lindsey’

Fall color abounds! Maples, hickories, and Nyssa are well-known for their stellar foliage displays. While trees tend to dominate the fall foliage landscape, there are many shrubs that produce dramatic color changes. Calycanthus is one such shrub. Calycanthus x raulstonii ‘Hartlage Wine’ in the Terry Shane Teaching Garden and Calycanthus floridus ‘Michael Lindsey’ along the David Kemp Residence Hall feature bright yellow leaves. Who doesn’t love a plant that provides multi-season interest? Photo credit: J. Coceano